Five Tsé Bit A'í Middle School students made history when each was accepted to the prestigious Cushing Academy in Ashburnham. Mass., a private boarding school known for its exceptional academic, athletic and artistic programs. All students from TBA who applied, Shaler Max, Taryn Joe, Hana Walter, Leshaunie Hadley and Kaydence Platero, were not only accepted to Cushing, but also offered either full scholarships or part scholarships.

"These students show us what we already know; That we cannot underestimate ourselves, and that bravery pays off," Sabrina Mehtabuddin, an English and language arts teacher at TBA, said.

Spring has arrived and summer is on the horizon. While the school year may be winding down, many initiatives at Central Consolidated School District are just getting started. The new Bond Wilson Technical Center will soon be accepting applications for its newest cohort. BWTC opened its doors in January to a limited class of students and we are excited to offer more students the opportunity to attend these innovative courses that will be a catalyst for successful careers and futures. You can read more about the Bond Wilson Technical Center on the CCSD website, where you will also find an application for students.

Recent events, locally and nationwide, have thrust the issues of student and school safety to the forefront of our thoughts, our conversations and our actions. Central Consolidated School District students have many questions, concerns and opinions regarding the issues of school and student safety. Therefore, each CCSD school will host a safety forum on Wednesday, March 14, that coincide with national events.

Each safety forum will be age-appropriate and will provide students opportunities to express their concerns and opinions. CCSD would like to assure parents that these forums are only a platform for students’ voices to be heard, they are not intended for children to hear the opinions or views of CCSD staff. Some topics that could be discussed at the different school levels are listed below.

Welcome to the first edition of the Superintendent’s Message and thank you for taking the time to read about the happenings in our District. Our newsletter, Hane’, is intended to allow parents, community members and other district partners an inside look at all the great things happening in Central Consolidated School District. Each edition will feature stories from all levels of education including Pre-K, elementary, middle school and high school as well as athletics. There will also be stories and information about the dedicated teachers and staff at CCSD and the extraordinary alumni who have passed through our hallways, collected their diplomas and gone on to do great things in their careers.

The Navajo Nation appointed 14 young people, ranging from ages 14 to 24, to make up the first-ever Navajo Nation Youth Advisory Council (NNYAC) on February 11. Both representatives for the Northern Agency, Nick Tsipai and Reniah Manygoats, are students of Central Consolidated School District (CCSD). Tsipai is a senior at Newcomb High School and Manygoats is an 8th grader at Tsé Bit’Ai’ Middle School.

“I am so proud of Nick and Reniah for representing all the youth of the northern agency on this prestigious committee,” Dr. Colleen W. Bowman, superintendent of CCSD, said. “The students of our district are doing wonderful things every day and these two are brilliant examples of that fact. They are leaders in their schools and now they are leaders of the entire Navajo Nation.”

Central Consolidated School would like to extend its warmest gratitude to three organizations for their holiday gifts to the students of the district.

KOATs for Kids, based out of Albuquerque and sponsored by KOAT 7 and its partners, donated nearly 200 winter coats to the district to keep all students warm during the summer months. Archuleta Restoration and Remodel, of Albuquerque, drove the coats all the way to Shiprock where district staff will distribute the coats on a needs basis.